town in West Virginia
Honey bee forage in Leon, West Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 94% of sites in West Virginia. Against other West Virginia sites it stands out most in summer (99th percentile) and lowest in spring (28th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.5 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.5 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.9 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Leon?
- First forage: Feb 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jul 31, peaking late Apr (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Leon, from what grows within flight range (about 3.7 miles) and when it blooms here. Dates are the model's estimate for a typical year; the spring index for this spot falls on Apr 19.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), soybeans, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Soybeans: about 1,310 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi SW, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 142 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi SW, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
From USDA's crop maps for 2021–2025; fields rotate, so a crop counts by how often it was grown. Listing a field says nothing about its owner.
The land and water around Leon
Mostly: Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Allegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland; South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.07 mi NE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.08 mi NE.
How Leon ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 72nd | 80th | 71st | 39th |
| West Virginia | 94th | 28th | 99th | 32nd |
| Western Allegheny Plateau | 74th | 20th | 90th | 19th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 65% of the land here is scored with national averages for its vegetation type rather than measured plant cover, so the wild-plant part of this estimate is rougher than the crop part.
The national forage map around Leon: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Buffalo 10 mi · Cottageville 11 mi · Henderson 11 mi · Point Pleasant 12 mi · Apple Grove 13 mi · Gallipolis Ferry 14 mi
All towns in West Virginia · National map · How the scoring works
An estimate from public maps (USDA crop maps 2021–2025 averaged, LANDFIRE vegetation), not a survey of the ground. Maps can't see garden plantings, understory density, other beekeepers' hives, or this year's weather. The point is the Census Bureau's published center of Leon (38.7481, -81.9545); a yard a mile or two away can differ, so check your own spot. The FEMA flood map was not checked for this page. Benchmark 2026.5, built 2026-10-19. How this works · All sources.